


A Cry for Help

by TigerLily



Category: CSI: Miami
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-27
Updated: 2012-01-27
Packaged: 2017-10-30 04:33:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/327768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigerLily/pseuds/TigerLily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Valera rescues Horatio from a night of self-destructiveness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Cry for Help

A phone call from her favorite bartender had Valera walking into an old haunt hours after she should have been home and in bed. She spotted her quarry in the far corner of the bar. Even in a semi-darkened bar Horatio Caine’s red hair shined like a beacon.

From the set of his shoulders, Valera could tell he was well on his way to getting mind numbingly drunk.

“Horatio,” she said as she slid into the booth next to him.

“Hello, my lovely Maxine,” he drawled as he looked up from the glass he clutched like it were a lifeline.

Valera didn’t bother to hide the wince the use of her Christian name caused. “Last call, H,” she told him.

“It can’t be,” he murmured. “I just got started.” He polished off his drink and reached for the bottle, but Valera stopped him by moving the bottle out of reach.

“It’s after closing time and Tony would like to go home, so let me have your keys.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I’ll just sleep it off in the Hummer.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Horatio,” Valera calmly said. “But, you are an idiot!”

Horatio laughed. “So the mouse roars.”

“This mouse will kick your ass if you even consider doing something as stupid as sleeping a drunk off in the Hummer,” Valera reasoned. “You may not give a damn about your reputation, but the lab’s reputation is at stake right now. Stetler would love nothing more than to shut us down.”

Horatio shrugged. Valera was right he didn’t care about his reputation. She was also right about the nonsense going on at the lab, but with half a bottle of Scotch swimming through his veins Horatio found that he couldn’t muster a single feeling of concern.

“Let me have your keys and I’ll take you home.”

Horatio fumbled in his pocket and pulled his keys out. He tossed them onto the table.

They made a loud clatter as they hit the marble top.

Valera scooped them up.

“Ready?” she asked.

“Not really,” he retorted. “But, if you insist.”

“I do,” she growled. “Some of us have to get up early and go to work.”

“You can always call off,” the redhead suggested as he slowly stood up using the table for balance. “I’m certain your supervisor wouldn’t mind.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Valera tossed back. She grabbed hold of Horatio’s arm and escorted him from the bar.

&/&/&

Horatio convinced Valera to drive them to the beach so he could clear his head. He didn’t want to go home. His condo had become a place where he stopped only to get a few hours of sleep, some food and change clothes.

They sat in the sand leaning against the Hummer as the sun started to paint the horizon an orangish-red. They hadn’t exchanged many words since parking the Hummer.

“I’m sorry,” Horatio apologized finally breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them. “You’re right. I’m idiot.”

Valera sighed. “Why are you doing this to yourself, Horatio?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted with heart felt honesty. “I just don’t know anymore.”

“You need help.”

“Yes, I do,” Horatio whispered.

Valera cupped Horatio’s face in her hands and made him look at her. “Will you let me help you?”

Horatio nodded.

Valera leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his forehead.

Horatio smiled.

Valera dropped her hands. She stood up and said, “Time we got some sleep before work. Our boss can be such a slave driver.”

Horatio chuckled. He stood up and brushed sand from his trousers. “Yeah,” he agreed. “I hear he can be a real task master.”

Valera snickered. She slid into the Hummer and waited for Horatio to join her. When the passenger door closed, she started the vehicle and drove them back to her place.

fin


End file.
